“While every track isn't a 5-star piece, the effort
and care to make so much of the music from NFL Film's available
shines through and the overall effect of this 6 hour
compilation earns it one of Tracksounds highest ratings.”

The Thundering
Heard
Review by Christopher
Coleman

For
over 40 years now, NFL
Films has produced
some of the
most-watched sports
documentaries and
specials in television
history. Kinetic
snapshots taken from
countless-Sundays of
football have
been preserved by
visionaries Ed and
Steve Sabol and their
team of creatives. Those
snapshots are
inexorably joined to
the music of composer
Sam Spence, Tom Hedden
and David Robidoux.
For the sports fan,
much of the music
attached to the myriad
of Super Bowl shows,
team documentaries or
player tributes, are
just as recognizable
as some of Hollywood's
famous musical themes.

After a year and a
half of work, NFL
Films, along with Cherry Lane
Music, released the
massive 10-disc
compilation, AUTUMN
THUNDER: 40 YEARS OF
NFL FILMS MUSIC.
Contained within are
most of the classic
tracks that football
aficionados have come
to know and love.
Although some the
titles have been
renamed, the music of "Forearm Shiver," "Ramblin'
Man from Gramblin'," "A
Golden Boy Again,"
"Pony Riders," "The
Raiders," among
others from composer Sam
Spence are included.
Moving beyond the body
of the famed NFL
composer's work are a
number of
slightly-lesser known
compositions, from
slightly-lesser-known
composers such as Tony Luisi, Martha Jane
Webber and Beverly
Hermmann.

Beginning with the
heavily
jazz-influenced music
from the 1950s and
concluding with
pulse-pounding,
synthesized scores of
the new millenium,
AUTUMN THUNDER is
almost like taking a
historical tour of pop
and orchestral music.
Film music fans will
certainly find
familiar references to
classic film themes
like THE MAGNIFICENT
SEVEN and THE GREAT
ESCAPE and PETER GUN.
Likewise, jazz and pop
fans will find
allusions to Dave
Brubeck's "Take Five,"
Henri Mancini's theme for Peter Gun or
to Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"
from the mid-1980s.
The discs and tracks generally
follow a
chronological order,
so one of the more
entertaining aspects
of this compilation
is listening to the
evolution of the sound
of NFL Films and the
era-nuances found from
disc to disc.

Going beyond those
classic football tunes
and into the new
millennium, AUTUMN
THUNDER further delivers a
healthly introduction
to the music of NFL
Film's next-generation-composers:
TOM HEDDEN and DAVID
ROBIDOUX.
While maintaining the
traditions established
by Steve Sabol and Sam
Spence, the two
composers also keep
the production
company's sound fresh
and accessible for
today's audiences.
The combined result is
a massive compilation
that entertains the
hard-core NFL fan as
well as many
soundtrack collectors.
The Golden Spence Era

NFL Films' earliest
era is, of course,
synonymous with the
sound of SAM SPENCE.
The first six discs
are dominated by his
compositions.
For those who remember
watching NFL Films'
productions prior to
the days of ESPN, then
it is likely that
Spence's flair with
jazz as well as
memorable melodies
will be those pieces
that are immediately
recognized and
emotionally connected
to. His famous
pieces simply
transport the listener
back to an era where
players and coaches
stayed with one team
and when they were
known more for the
football-exploits than
off-the-field-failings.
Many of Spence's
pieces seem to capture
the essence of an era
long gone. The
earliest of tracks
are heavily
influenced by the
period in which they
were composed.
Disc 1 is
predominantly made of
jazz/big-band
compositions, although
the foundations of the
NFL Films, orchestral
feel start surfacing
on track 4,
"Knight in Cracked
Leather." After
disc 1, the famous
musical personality of
Steve Sabol's
productions takes shape
and, by disc 2, the
music has matured into
what fans have come to
remember most about
Sam Spence's work.

Tracking through to
disc 7, some listeners
may be wearied
as each disc holds
only one or two easily
recognizable pieces.
Some may find many of
the tracks plagued by
musical references
that pinpoint the era
in which they were
written. Music
peppered by references
from the 60s, 70s and
80s are in abundance.
That said, discs
4 through 7 still
contain some of Sam
Spence's best works:
"The Raiders," "Jazz
Undercurrents," "Round
Up," "Classic Battle,"
"Wild Bunch," "Salute
to Courage."
Each exhibit at least
one characteristic
that helped Sam Spence
set these productions
apart: memorable
melodies, blarring
brass accents, pulsing
percussion, or
determined string
work. That said,
even this 10-disc
release isn't enough
to cover all of Sam
Spence's recognizable
works such as "The
Final Quest" and "The
Equalizer" which can
be found on the 1998
Tommy Boy Records
release of
THE POWER AND THE
GLORY. The
contribution of Spence
to the world of
sports-video
production can hardly
be measured, but
suffice it to say that
some of his works have
become slices of
Americana and AUTUMN
THUNDER does his body
of work justice.

The New Millennium
of NFL Films

Reaching
mid-way through disc
7, we have a handing
off of the torch.
With the
75 SEASONS
Suite, we move
into NFL Film's new
musical era.
Composers Tom Hedden
and David Robidoux are
boldly introduced with
music from their
1994, Emmy-Winning score for
the TNT-aired special
covering the history
of the NFL's first 75
Seasons. Composer Tom
Hedden is given the
main music credit here
and David Robidoux
credited with
"additional music."
However the credits
are divided, the
combined effort of the
two composer here,
features some of the
most lyrical and
evocative music found
on any of the 10
discs. Founded
upon a single, title
theme, the composers
arrange and
orchestrate its
employment throughout
the track with grace
and finesse and also
with climactic
majesty, just as it is
found in the TV
special. Truly, the 12
minute suite alone
almost makes the
entire set worth the
price of admission.
Those who were
fortunate to see the
special or buy the VHS
tape of it (yes VHS -
there is no DVD
release), will find
this suite
particularly poignant.
Those who have not
seen this brilliant
documentary will
certainly want to
after hearing this
track alone.

Now the work of Tom
Hedden and David
Robidoux extend far
beyond 75 SEASONS. The
balance of the
compilation, discs 8
through 10, features
only the work of NFL
Film's two new
torch-bearers.
The pace and tone of
the remaining discs
takes on a decidedly
more contemporary
feel. Fans of
modern-day film or
game music will find
much to sink their
ears into. That
said, the mindful
listener will discover
that much of what is
presented is "Sam
Spence" as interpreted
in the new millennium.
The horns are there,
but blare the louder.
The stringers are
there, but soar the
higher. The
percussion remains,
but pounds even
harder.

As
modern-day composers,
both Tom Hedden and
David Robidoux
demonstrate their
unique styles and
voices quite clearly.
As demonstrated in the
75 Seasons Suite, Tom
Hedden's work reflects
the ideals and
techniques of his
predecessor yet
modernizes them.
Tom Hedden's early
work provides an
accessible bridge from
Spence's style to the
present-day
sensibilities.
In discs 7 through 9,
is found Tom Hedden's
most enjoyable work.
Full of bold themes
and wondrous
orchestrations, his
work carries the NFL
Film's flag quite
well. One only
need to listen to
tracks like "Golden
Boy" (track 13, disc
7), "The Hero's Suite"
(track 8, disc 8), or
"Touchdown Suite"
(track 1, disc 9), to
find NFL Film's
musical tradition
alive and well.
Still, by disc 10, Tom
Hedden shows that his
musical evolution
continues. His sound
has transitioned into
a smaller
orchestra-feel and
greater dependence on
production. It
is this modern-ideal
that David Robidoux
also exhibits, but
much stronger and
right from his early
days with NFL Films.

Many of Robidoux's
earlier works for NFL
Films loosely cling to
the patented sense of
melody and theme well
established by Spence
and continued by
Hedden, yet Robidoux's
use of percussion is
much more aggressive
than either.
While Tom Hedden's
work might be called
more "thematic,"
David Robidoux's might
be called more
"forceful."
Tracks like "Legends"
(track 14, disc 7),
"Kickoff" (track 15,
disc 7), and "Heroes
of War" (track 1, disc
9) all demonstrate Robidoux's talent for
melody, but also his
knack to amp
everything up by a
notch or two.
Those who have a
tendency to
appreciating the work
of a Hans Zimmer,
James Newton Howard or
James Michael Dooley,
will find much
territory to explore
and enjoy in
Robidoux's work.

AUTUMN THUNDER is
packaged in a huge
book-like case whose
"page" hold 2 discs
each. The cover
looks and feels like,
what else, a football.
Handy for carrying
this compilation
through the rain, but
at almost $100, it's
doubtful this case and
contents will ever be
treated so recklessly.
The liner-notes are
extensive. In
fact, let's call it a
book that features
notes by Steve Sabol,
Sam Spence, Tom Hedden,
David Robioux and
Jerry Mahler,
executive in charge of
Audio at NFL Films.
There are numerous,
color photos, song
notes and indexes.
A top-rate package.
The only negative is
that there isn't one
single listing of
tracks that include,
title, length, and
composer in one line.
(Not a big deal unless
you are writing a
review of this set!)

While the $100 price
tag might seem a bit
steep, for the
football fan, there is
little question that
this release is worth
every penny. For
the film music fan, I
say serious thought
should be given to
AUTUMN THUNDER as
well. How many
10 disc film music
compositions are out
there? Not many,
if there is even one.
This compilation is
like a trip through
the decades with the
NFL and as these discs
play, its virtually
impossible to not be
infused with the
inspiration that Steve
Sabol and company
surely have intended
for their productions
from the very
beginning. It
should be said that
AUTUMN THUNDER isn't
an exhaustive
compilation of the NFL
Film's archive.
To deliver that would
put it in a place
where only NFL players
could afford to buy
it. What has
been delivered is
plenty - even if one
or two of the more
obscure pieces aren't
included.
Finally, While every
track isn't a 5-star
piece, the effort and
care to make so much
of the music from NFL
Film's available
shines through and the
overall effect of this
six hour
compilation earns it one of Tracksounds highest ratings.”